A step backward to move forward

He’s been getting better and better. So we’ve gotten into the habit of backing up further and further away from each other so that it’s more of a challenge.

But we hadn’t played catch in a while. So when we resumed our usual far-away positions, he kept missing—and he kept getting frustrated.

So to fix the problem, we moved closer—almost too close. This way, he could catch everything. As a result, his confidence went up. Soon we were back at our previous far-away positions making great catches and having a tonne of laughs.

Most people I know want to make progress in their faith. So they pile up different religious practices. I’m not knocking that. But if you’re not ready for it you can end up getting frustrated. You keep dropping the proverbial ball and your mental energy goes into feeling bad about yourself instead of dialing in to the Lord.

Sometimes you need to take a step backward to move forward.

If this is you, get back to basics. It’s like my son and I standing 6-feet apart playing catch:

-Slowly say the Lord’s Prayer each morning.-Read a few paragraphs of the New Testament or a Psalm before bed.-Go to church on Sunday.

If you don’t ensure your foundation stones are set firmly in place, the rest of your spiritual house is always on the brink of breakdown. If that’s you, get back to basics.

Sometimes you need to take a step backward to move forward.

By Matthew Ruttan

On Sunday I’m starting a new 2-part series at Westminster called, “A Servant Christmas: How the birth of a servant Saviour can make your Christmas more meaningful.” (There’s more in those Christmas stories than meets the eye.) Click here to learn more.